from rightsnet.org

WCA changes should take effect immediately or reassessment of incapacity benefits claimants should be postponed

New report from Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion also calls for 'employability assessment'

14 January, 2011

The changes recommended by Professor Harrington in his review of the work capability assessment (WCA) should take effect immediately or, if this is not possible, the reassessment of incapacity benefits claimants should be postponed, according to a new report from the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion (CESI).

In its report, Making the Work Programme work for people with health conditions', CESI says that it welcomes the recommendations made by Professor Harrington in his review of the WCA and are pleased that the government intends to implement them in full. However, CESI goes on to say that -

'... in light of the government‟s acknowledgement that the existing system should be revised to improve its fairness and effectiveness, we are concerned that those who are undergoing reassessment in the pilot areas of Aberdeen and Burnley are being assessed using the current WCA. It will be neither fair nor effective if claimants end up transferring to the wrong benefit because of systemic problems with the WCA. We urge the government to implement the recommendations of the Harrington review with immediate effect; if this is not possible, we believe the reassessment process should be postponed until the revised WCA is rolled out.'

In addition, CESI states that that a comprehensive assessment of a person's capability to work requires more than 'the crude appraisal of functionality' which is the scope of the current WCA -

'We believe that an employability assessment, which considers a broader range of employability factors in the context of an individual‟s health condition or disability, would improve the overall assessment process. This should be undertaken by a professional, possibly an occupational health specialist, and should be made available to employment advisers on the Work Programme as soon as the claimant is referred to them. To ensure objectivity and consistency, we would argue that this assessment should be undertaken at the point of transfer, whilst the claimant is still in receipt of support from Jobcentre Plus.'

CESI also calls for the policy implementation to be monitored - with the recommendation that the DWP and future independent reviews of the WCA follow cohorts of claimants in the ESA work-related activity group, the ESA support group and those who are found fit for work, and tracks their destinations over specified time periods - and says that it believes that the government must ensure that outcomes are shared across services so that different agencies are working towards common goals.

Making the Work Programme work for people with health conditions is available from the CESI website.